Wire-stretcher.



. M. ROBERTS.

wmf STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. l5. 19| 7.

' 1,252,953. Patented im 8,1918.v

JAMES M. ROBERTS, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. S, 1918.

Application led September 15, 1917. Serial No. 191,637.

To all whom z'z may concern Be it known that JAMES M. Renners, a citizenof the United States, residing near St. Joseph, in the county of Andrewank State of lvlissouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relatesto improvements 1n wire stretchers and staplepullers, combined; and the objects of my improvements are, first; toprovide a simple, substantial and durable wire stretcher, which shall beheld in position, against a fence post or similar object by the tensionof the stretched wire, thereby leaving both hands of the operator of thestretcher free, while driving a staple in said post, for holding thestretched wire in place, second; to so construct the stretcher, that itshall be adapted for use in stretching both fence and telephone wires,third; to so form the gripping members that the thereby gripped wire cannot escape from between said members while it is being gripped, fourth;to provide a staple puller, formed with the body of the wire stretcher,for pulling staples from posts and the like, fifth; to so form animplement of this class, that it shall be compact and cheap in cost ofmanufacture.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Figure l is plan View of the stretcher and l atransverse section of a fence post, with a fence wire stretchedthereagainst. Fig. 2 is rear view of the stretcher, seen in Fig. l. Fig.3 is an end view of the stretcher seen in Fig. l, looking toward theright. Fig. 4 is a side view of the stretcher with the parts in positionstretching a telephone wire.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the body 1, of the stretcher, has handle 2,fulcrum points 3 and grip members t and l', formed therewith. Saidmembers have the projected edges 4 and la formed therewith, whichoverlap the adjacent edges of the oscillatable grip members 5 and 5respectively. Said oscillatable members have wire guides 6 and 6',respectively formed therewith.

Body 1 has the two mortises l', formed therein, in which grip members 5are oscillatably mounted. One end of each of said members is pivoted onbolt 7, which is passed through said mortised portion of said body.

Grip members 4 and 5 grip the fence wire 8, for stretching the sameacross the face side of post 9.

Cant hoolr 10 has ratchet teeth 10 formed on one edge thereof, whichengage lug 10. Said lug is formed in the mortise 10, which is formedthrough body 1. hook adjusting means, whereby the reachv of said hook isadjusted.

rlhe bifurcated brace 11 has the upper ends of its upper bifurcationspointed for adapting the same to be engaged with the face side of post9. The lower bifurcations of said brace each have a slot 11 formedtherethrough, along one edge of which the ratchet teeth ll are formed.Said teeth engage bolt 7 which forms brace adjusting means, whereby thereach of said brace is adjusted.

Bolt 7 is secured in place by the two collars 7 which are secured on theends of said bolt by pins 7.

Claws l2 are secured on one end of body l, and are adapted to be forcedbetween wire 8 and post 9 while astride staple 13, for drawing saidstaple from said post.

Body 1 has bolt 14 formed therewith and extending through niortises 1',which bolt is engaged by the ratchet teeth 10', of cant hook 10, as seenin Fig. i; for use in stretching a telephone wire 15, as hereinafterdescribed.

In operation, the operator places fulcruni points 3 against post 9, andpasses the free end portion of wire 8, between grip members e and 5. Hethen presses the wire guide G toward said wire, thereby pressing thetoothed edge of member 5 in close contact with said wire. Thereafter, byhandle 2, with one hand, he swings body 1, fulcrumed on fulcrum points3, until said wire is tightly'stretched. He then, with the other handadjusts the reach of cant hook 10, as required, and thereafter drivesthe point of said hook into post 9, after which the tension of wire 8holds the wire `stretcher in place. Said operator, then, with the usualtools and the use of both hands, drives staple 13 into post 9, forholding said wire in place.

He then releases cant hook 10 from said post and by wire guide G, movesmember 5 This provides fromV contact with wire 8, after which theoperator repeats the described operations, for securing said wire toanother post.

i/Vhere the shape of the post is such as to render cant hook l0inadequate to hold .the parts in the position shown in Fig. l, thepointedy ends of brace ll are swung into engagement with the face of thepost, for additionally bracing the Wire stretcher against the strain ofwire 8.

When used as a telephone wire stretcher, the parts are placed in theposition seen in Fig. 4, with fulcrum points 3 and hook 10 engaging thesurfaces of cross arm 16.

Similar operations are performed with grip members 4 and 5 and the -wireguide 6, for engaging wire l5 'between said meinkbers, after which saidwire is stretched adjacent to insulator 17, as Vpreviously described.Said wire is then secured in the nsual'manner, by a tire wire, (notshown,) to insulator 17. The wire stretcher is removed from the positionshown in F ig. 4, by performing releasing operations, similar tothe onesalready described.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is In a wire stretcher, a body adapted to beused as alever; a pair of fulcrum points formed with said body, saidpoints being adapted to act against a post as a fulcrum for said body;grip members carried on said body for gripping a'wire; a handle on oneend of said body whereby the latter is swung` on said fulcrum points forstretching said wire; holding means connected with said body, thefreepend of said holding means Copies of this patent may he obtained forve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner being' adapted to engagethe side of said post for holding said body against the strain of saidstretched wire; and auxiliary holding` means comprising a vbifurcatedbrace adjustably pivoted on said body, the ends of the bifurcations ofsaid brace being adapted to -be ldriven into said post for assistinginholding said body against the strain of said stretched wire.

2. In a wire stretcher, a body. adapted to be used as a lever, a pair offulcrum points formed with said body, said points being adapted to actagainst a lfixed object as a 'fulcrum for said body; a handle formed onone end of said body; wire gripping` inembers connected with theopposite end of said body for gripping a wire, said body being adaptedvto be swung` by said handle and thereby move said grip members forstretching said wire; a mortise formed in said body; a cant hookdetachably held in said mortise; a pair of Yother mortises formed in theintermediate portion of said body; a grip 'member oscillatably mountedinv each one of said mortises'; arbolt lformed with said body extendingthrough the last mentioned mortises, said cant hook being adapted to beremoved from the iirstmentioned mortise and to be passed through one ofthe last mentioned two mortises and to have its hooked end engaged withsaid fixed object for holding said body against the strain of saidstretched wire; and ratchet teeth formed on one edge of said cant hooksaid teeth being` adapted to engage said bolt for adjusting the reach ofsaid hook.

In testimony whereof I affix my si gnature'.

JAMES M. ROBERTS. l

of Patents, i

Washington, ZD. C.

